World stocks fall as Donald Trump tests positive for COVID-19

U.S. stock futures and other world stocks fell on Friday as United States President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus a couple of weeks before the elections.  

“News that U.S. President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19 must be worrying at a personal level, as it would be for anyone. Markets (being impersonal) will focus on whether this affects the election outcome or public health policy,” UBS Global Wealth Management’s (SWG) Chief Economist Paul Donovan stated.

Trump said on Twitter that he and his wife had been tested for coronavirus after they traveled with Hope Hicks, Trump’s senior advisor.

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER,” Donald Trump tweeted on Friday.

S&P 500 futures (EScv1) fell by 2% immediately after the news.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) was down by 0.98%.

Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell by 0.27%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index (.N225) was down by 0.69%.

Euro Stoxx 50 futures (STXEc1) went up by 0.06% while German DAX futures (FDXc1) rose by 0.03%. However, FTSE futures (FFIc1) were down by 1.02%.